Patna: A total of 1,314 candidates will contest in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections scheduled for November 6, the Election Commission (EC) confirmed late on Monday evening following the completion of nomination withdrawals. The first phase will cover 121 constituencies across 18 districts of the state.
Over 300 nominations rejected, 61 withdrawn
According to the EC, 1,690 nominations were filed between October 10 and 17. Following scrutiny on October 18,315 were rejected for various reasons, while 61 candidates later withdrew their names. “The process of withdrawal of candidature ended on Monday, leaving 1,314 candidates in fray,” the EC stated in an official release.
Among the constituencies, Paliganj in Patna district recorded the highest number of rejections, with 15 of 29 nominations declared invalid. Hajipur in Vaishali followed with nine rejections out of 21 nominations, while Jagdishpur (Bhojpur), Biharsharif (Nalanda), and Barauli (Gopalganj) each saw eight rejections.
Prominent candidates whose papers were rejected included Seema Singh of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) from Marhaura in Saran district, CPI’s Lakshman Paswan from Rosera in Samastipur, and Aam Aadmi Party’s Prem Pratap Singh.
Some nomination errors were notably unusual. Janshakti Janata Dal candidate Dharmendra Krantikari, currently lodged in jail, failed to specify the reason for his imprisonment in his affidavit. Independent candidate Mukesh Pandit’s nomination from Barauli was rejected after his proposers’ names did not match the final electoral roll.
Seizures cross Rs 64 crore as polls near
Gopalganj saw the highest number of withdrawals at four, followed by three each in Danapur, Alinagar, and Sarairanjan. The first phase will be followed by voting in the second phase on November 11, with counting scheduled for November 14.
The deadline for filing nominations for the second phase also ended on Monday, covering 122 constituencies. Scrutiny will be held on Tuesday, and withdrawals will be accepted until October 23.
Meanwhile, enforcement agencies reported cumulative seizures worth over Rs 64 crore, including Rs 4.2 crore in cash, liquor valued at Rs 23.4 crore, narcotics worth Rs 17 crore, and precious metals pegged at Rs 5.5 crore. Freebies and other items worth over Rs 14 crore were also confiscated.
